PRMT inhibition induces a viral mimicry response in triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive breast cancer subtype with the worst prognosis and few effective therapies. Here we identified MS023, an inhibitor of type I protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs), which has antitumor growth activity in TNBC. Pathway analysis of TNBC cell lines indicates that the activation of interferon responses before and after MS023 treatment is a functional biomarker and determinant of response, and these observations extend to a panel of human-derived organoids. Inhibition of type I PRMT triggers an interferon response through the antiviral defense pathway with the induction of double-stranded RNA, which is derived, at least in part, from inverted repeat Alu elements. Together, our results represent a shift in understanding the antitumor mechanism of type I PRMT inhibitors and provide a rationale and biomarker approach for the clinical development of type I PRMT inhibitors

Analysis of factors influencing onset and survival of patients with severe acute pancreatitis: A clinical study

Abstract Objectives Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory disease of the pancreas, and the prognosis of severe AP (SAP) is poor. The study aimed to identify promising biomarkers for predicting the occurrence and survival outcome of SAP patients. Materials and Methods Two hundred and forty AP patients were retrospectively recruited, in which 72 cases with SAP. Blood test was done for collection of laboratory indicators. After treatment, the mortality of patients was recorded. Results Patients in the SAP group had higher intensive care unit admissions and longer hospital stays (p < .001). Among laboratory parameters, significantly high values of C‐reactive protein (CRP), triglycerides and glucose (TyG) index, Von willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag) and D‐dimer were found in SAP groups relative to non‐SAP ones. Receiver operating characteristic curve indicated the good performance of CRP, TyG index, vWF:Ag and D‐dimer in SAP diagnosis. Among all SAP cases, 51 survived while 21 died. TyG index (odds ratio [OR] = 6.914, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.193–40.068, p = .028), vWF:Ag (OR = 7.441, 95% CI = 1.236–244.815, p = .028), and D‐dimer (OR = 7.987, 95% CI = 1.251–50.997, p = .028) were significantly related to survival outcome of SAP patients by multiple logistic regression analysis. Both TyG index and vWF showed favorable efficiency in predicting overall prognosis. The area under the curve for the multivariate model (PRE = −35.908 + 2.764 × TyG + 0.021 × vWF:Ag) was 0.909 which was greater than 0.9, indicating its excellent performance in prognosis prediction. Conclusion CRP, TyG index, vWF:Ag, and D‐dimer values on admission may be potential clinical predictors of the development of SAP. Moreover, TyG index and vWF:Ag may be helpful to predict survival outcome

Preparation of Eu0.075Tb0.925-Metal Organic Framework as a Fluorescent Probe and Application in the Detection of Fe3+ and Cr2O72−

Luminescent Ln-MOFs (Eu0.075Tb0.925-MOF) were successfully synthesised through the solvothermal reaction of Tb(NO3)3·6H2O, Eu(NO3)3·6H2O, and the ligand pyromellitic acid. The product was characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), TG analysis, EM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and luminescence properties, and results show that the synthesised material Eu0.075Tb0.925-MOF has a selective ratio-based fluorescence response to Fe3+ or Cr2O72−. On the basis of the internal filtering effect, the fluorescence detection experiment shows that as the concentration of Fe3+ or Cr2O72− increases, the intensity of the characteristic emission peak at 544 nm of Tb3+ decreases, and the intensity of the characteristic emission peak at 653 nm of Eu3+ increases in Eu0.075Tb0.925-MOF. The fluorescence intensity ratio (I653/I544) has a good linear relationship with the target concentration. The detection linear range for Fe3+ or Cr2O72− is 10–100 μM/L, and the detection limits are 2.71 × 10−7 and 8.72 × 10−7 M, respectively. Compared with the sensor material with a single fluorescence emission, the synthesised material has a higher anti-interference ability. The synthesised Eu0.075Tb0.925-MOF can be used as a highly selective and recyclable sensing material for Fe3+ or Cr2O72−. This material should be an excellent candidate for multifunctional sensors

Mathematical Modeling of Prediction of Horizontal Wells with Gravel Pack Combined with ICD in Bottom-Water Reservoirs

During the development of horizontal wells in bottom-water reservoirs, the strong heterogeneity of reservoir permeability leads to premature bottom-water breakthroughs at locations with high permeability in the horizontal wellbore, and the water content rises rapidly, which seriously affects production. To cope with this problem, a new technology has emerged in recent years that utilizes gravel filling to block the flow in the annulus between the horizontal well and the borehole and utilizes the Inflow Control Device (ICD) completion tool to carry out segmental water control in horizontal wells. Unlike conventional horizontal well ICD completions that use packers for segmentation, gravel packs combined with ICD completions break the original segmentation routine and increase the complexity of the production dynamic simulation. In this paper, the flow in different spatial dimensions, such as reservoirs, gravel-packed layers, ICD completion sections, and horizontal wellbores, is modeled separately. Furthermore, the annular pressures at different locations are used as the solution variable for the coupled solution, which realizes the prediction of oil production, water production, and the water content of gravel packs combined with ICD completion of horizontal wells. The model is used to calculate the effects of different crude oil viscosities, different reservoir permeabilities, different permeabilities of gravel-packed layers, and different development stages on the water control effects of gravel packs combined with ICD completions and conventional ICD completions under field conditions

ZnS:Eu @ZIF-8: Selective formation of ZnS:Eu QDs within a zinc methylimidazole framework for chemical sensing applications

Light harvesting based on a microporous zeolite imidazole backbone (MOF) has attracted considerable interest as a fluorescent sensor for the detection of analytes. In this work, we have prepared a novel complex containing quantum dots of doped rare earth elements by a one-pot method. to be applied to the fluorescence detection of pollution hazards. Because of the solid framework, the prepared ZnS:Eu@ZIF-8 composite shows desirable fluorescence properties. The selectivity and sensitivity of ZnS:Eu@ZIF -8 to TNP, which has a detection limit of 0.19 μmol/L, is further investigated and its sensing mechanism is discussed by means of fluorescence lifetime measurements in combination with emission and UV spectra. It should also be noted that this is the first doped quantum dot to be encapsulated in a MOF to be used for the potential detection of phenolic compounds in the aqueous environment, while the framework remains in place and no structural changes have occurred

Hydrometallurgy

A novel method that introduces an electrochemical field to enhance the decomposition of vanadium slag in concentrated NaOH solution was proposed. Under the optimal conditions (alkali concentration of 40 wt.%, reaction temperature of 120 degrees C, alkali-to-ore mass ratio of 4:1, stirring speed of 1000 rpm, and slot current density of 750 A/m(2)), the extraction percentages of vanadium and chromium could reach approximately 95% and 90%, respectively, after 6 h of reaction time. Compared with the current liquid oxidation methods, the reaction temperature in this new approach is reduced by 60-280 degrees C and the medium concentration is decreased by more than 30%, demonstrating substantial advantages and prospects in terms of actual operation and industrial application. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.A novel method that introduces an electrochemical field to enhance the decomposition of vanadium slag in concentrated NaOH solution was proposed. Under the optimal conditions (alkali concentration of 40 wt.%, reaction temperature of 120 degrees C, alkali-to-ore mass ratio of 4:1, stirring speed of 1000 rpm, and slot current density of 750 A/m(2)), the extraction percentages of vanadium and chromium could reach approximately 95% and 90%, respectively, after 6 h of reaction time. Compared with the current liquid oxidation methods, the reaction temperature in this new approach is reduced by 60-280 degrees C and the medium concentration is decreased by more than 30%, demonstrating substantial advantages and prospects in terms of actual operation and industrial application. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Open Tubular Column Immobilized with Covalent Organic Frameworks for Rapid Separation of Small Molecular Compounds by Capillary Electrochromatography

Preparation of a novel TpBD (synthesized from phloroglucinol and benzidine) covalent organic framework (COF) immobilized open-tubular (OT) capillary is described by in situ growth strategy. The stationary phase in the column was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), nitrogen adsorption&ndash;desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDS). Several families of compounds with different properties (alkylbenzenes, parabens, sulfonamides and benzoic acids) were selected to evaluate the performance of the TpBD COF immobilized capillary. The results showed that the stationary phase was uniform with about 6.0 &mu;m thickness under the optimal preparation conditions, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were no more than 3.13% of alkylbenzenes on the TpBD COF immobilized capillary for 11 consecutive runs, which exhibited its excellent reproducibility and stability. A rapid baseline separation of each family of the analytes (neutral parabens, amphoteric sulfonamides and acidic benzoic acids) was obtained in less than 6 min with a resolution (Rs) of 2.79~9.30, which sufficiently verified the rapid separation, high resolution and wide application range of the TpBD COF immobilized capillary, and further revealed this strategy of fabricating COF to capillary column to show great promise in capillary electrochromatography

Novel Technology for the Removal of Fe and Al from Spent Li-Ion Battery Leaching Solutions by a Precipitation-Complexation Process

The conventional neutralization method for removing impurities Fe(III) and Al(III) from spent Li-ion battery (LIB) leaching solutions has encountered problems of low impurity removal efficiency or high loss of valuable metals. In this study, highly selective and effective separation of Fe(III) and Al(III) from spent LIB leaching solutions was achieved by the precipitation-complexation technology. It was found that almost all Fe(III) together with most of the Al(III) could be removed by preferential precipitation using NaHCO3 neutralization under an equilibrium pH of 3.3 at 95 degrees C. Phytic acid, as a selectively complexing agent, was then introduced to completely remove the residual Al(III) from Fe-removed solutions with an Al/PA molar ratio of 3:1 at 60 degrees C. As a result, more than 99.5% Fe(III) and 97.08% Al(III) could be removed from the actual solutions, with a total loss of Ni, Co, Mn, and Li of only 1.1%. Furthermore, the obtained Al-phytates could be decomposed to form Al(PO3)(3) products at 1000 degrees C. The whole process not only realized the efficient removal of Al(III) and Fe(III) at low pH with minimal loss of Ni, Co, Mn, and Li but also reduced the emission of wastes and utilized the Al resources

Novel Technology for the Removal of Fe and Al from Spent Li-Ion Battery Leaching Solutions by a Precipitation-Complexation Process

The conventional neutralization method for removing impurities Fe(III) and Al(III) from spent Li-ion battery (LIB) leaching solutions has encountered problems of low impurity removal efficiency or high loss of valuable metals. In this study, highly selective and effective separation of Fe(III) and Al(III) from spent LIB leaching solutions was achieved by the precipitation-complexation technology. It was found that almost all Fe(III) together with most of the Al(III) could be removed by preferential precipitation using NaHCO3 neutralization under an equilibrium pH of 3.3 at 95 degrees C. Phytic acid, as a selectively complexing agent, was then introduced to completely remove the residual Al(III) from Fe-removed solutions with an Al/PA molar ratio of 3:1 at 60 degrees C. As a result, more than 99.5% Fe(III) and 97.08% Al(III) could be removed from the actual solutions, with a total loss of Ni, Co, Mn, and Li of only 1.1%. Furthermore, the obtained Al-phytates could be decomposed to form Al(PO3)(3) products at 1000 degrees C. The whole process not only realized the efficient removal of Al(III) and Fe(III) at low pH with minimal loss of Ni, Co, Mn, and Li but also reduced the emission of wastes and utilized the Al resources

Genome Sequencing of Ralstonia solanacearum CQPS-1, a Phylotype I Strain Collected from a Highland Area with Continuous Cropping of Tobacco

Ralstonia solanacearum, an agent of bacterial wilt, is a highly variable species with a broad host range and wide geographic distribution. As a species complex, it has extensive genetic diversity and its living environment is polymorphic like the lowland and the highland area, so more genomes are needed for studying population evolution and environment adaptation. In this paper, we reported the genome sequencing of R. solanacearum strain CQPS-1 isolated from wilted tobacco in Pengshui, Chongqing, China, a highland area with severely acidified soil and continuous cropping of tobacco more than 20 years. The comparative genomic analysis among different R. solanacearum strains was also performed. The completed genome size of CQPS-1 was 5.89 Mb and contained the chromosome (3.83 Mb) and the megaplasmid (2.06 Mb). A total of 5229 coding sequences were predicted (the chromosome and megaplasmid encoded 3573 and 1656 genes, respectively). A comparative analysis with eight strains from four phylotypes showed that there was some variation among the species, e.g., a large set of specific genes in CQPS-1. Type III secretion system gene cluster (hrp gene cluster) was conserved in CQPS-1 compared with the reference strain GMI1000. In addition, most genes coding core type III effectors were also conserved with GMI1000, but significant gene variation was found in the gene ripAA: the identity compared with strain GMI1000 was 75% and the hrp(II) box promoter in the upstream had significantly mutated. This study provided a potential resource for further understanding of the relationship between variation of pathogenicity factors and adaptation to the host environment